The militia is not ruling out that the motive for the beating of MP Andriy Ilyenko and lawyer Sydir Kizin, both from the Svoboda Party, could be revenge from their fellow party members. This information comes from the press service of the Head Office of the Ministry of the Interior in Kyiv with reference to the chief of investigation department of the Head Office and Deputy Chief of the Kyiv militia Anatoliy Yevmin.
According to the militia, the investigation is considering all
possible versions of the incident, including hooliganism, and taking
into account the political activities of the victims.
In his response to a question about whether the investigators are
considering the possibility of retaliation by Svoboda party members,
since Ilyenko and Kizin were summoned to the police precinct to give
evidence regarding disorderly conduct on Jan. 1, Yevmin said: “This
is also likely, but there are several versions of what has happened.”
The militia stated that Ilyenko and Kizin were recognized as
victims, and had been given referrals for forensic medical examinations.
According to the preliminary medical conclusion, the Svoboda members
have minor injuries after the incident.
On Saturday, the militia offered the victims the chance to
reconstruct the incident at the scene of the crime. Kizin agreed to
participate and Ilyenko did not.
The law enforcement officers have identified a number of witnesses based on video evidence, which is being analyzed.
On Jan. 1, people marched on the central streets of Kyiv to mark
the 105th anniversary of the birth of the Ukrainian nationalist leader
Stepan Bandera.
A video, which appeared in social networks, shows how some
participants of the torch procession threw burning flares at the main
entrance of the Premier Palace hotel.
The police opened criminal proceedings on the fact of hooliganism by
participants of the torch procession o under Part 1, Article 296
(hooliganism).
All-Ukrainian Svoboda Association said that the incident at the hotel
“Premier Palace” is a provocation, followed by the two hooligans
expelled from the ranks of the association.
On Jan. 3, in the evening Ilyenko and Kizin were attacked on
Prorizna St. in central Kyiv on their way back from the interrogation by
the militia.
The militia classified the incident as hooliganism in accordance with
Part 2 of Article 296 of the Criminal Code. The Svoboda leader Oleh
Tyahnybok informed that Illienko was diagnosed with a concussion and
numerous bruises, and Kizin had a cut open wound of the right cheek (5
cm) stitched.
Original in Ukrainian on the Ukrainska Pravda website:
